The Arsenal striker has come in for heavy criticism after a disappointing campaign.
Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud
Speaking to L’Equipe, Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud says that the whole squad was to blame for their season, including Mesut Ozil.
Arsenal had started the season strongly, enjoying a fine first half of the campaign and leading the Premier League at the end of 2015.
A disastrous 2016 saw them fall away though as Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur battled it out for the title, with the Foxes running out as comfortable champions in the end.
Olivier Giroud celebrates after scoring the second goal for Arsenal
That saw the pressure increase at the Emirates, with Giroud in particular coming in for criticism as he went on the longest goal drought of his career.
The French striker though, insists that their problems were collective, meaning even star man Mesut Ozil was to blame.
“Our problems were collective,” he told French newspaper L’Equipe.
“I’ve been less efficient compared to the first half of the season, but it is same for all the players, either Ozil or another.”
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil lies on the pitch
While Giroud insists that Arsenal’s problems were collective this past season, there is no denying that the strikers department was a major issue for them.
Ozil was a creative force throughout the campaign, but the likes of Giroud and Theo Walcott largely failed to convert them in a frustrating campaign.
That is likely to see both dropped for next season, with rumours suggesting Arsene Wenger is keen to add a world class striker this summer.
Football Soccer – Juventus v Milan – Italian Cup Final – Olympic stadium, Rome, Italy – 21/05/16
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
